Wider Nait powers criticised by MP

Jacqui Dean
Jacqui Dean
Changes to the National Animal Identification and Tracing (Nait) Act 2012 have been slammed by National Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean.

The changes to the Act, made under urgency in Parliament to bolster the bid to eradicate the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis last week, would align Nait search powers with the Search and Surveillance Act; make it compulsory to declare all animal movements to Nait; and hold to account everyone who failed to do so.

Mrs Dean said the new "wide-ranging search powers",  giving the Ministry for Primary Industries the power to search farmers’ properties without a warrant, would be of great concern for farmers.

"It feels like farmers are being treated worse than criminals. A warrant is required to search gang headquarters but not a farm. This doesn’t make sense and is a slap in the face to law-abiding farmers left devastated by the M bovis outbreak.

"What the wider public needs to remember here is that this is not just a person’s business, it’s also their home. Families should be able to go about their daily life without the fear of people with clipboards turning up at their front door unannounced to conduct a search."

Biosecurity minister Damien O’Connor said the response to M bovis had highlighted problems with Nait that should have been fixed years ago.

Farmers had failed to register their animals’ movements, and there was a lack of compliance action to ensure Nait was used.

Three new infringement offences were created under the Animal Products Act 1999, relating to non-compliance with animal status declarations.

M. bovis has also become a notifiable organism under the Biosecurity Act 1993. If its presence was suspected, it must be reported to the Ministry for Primary Industries.

"A well-functioning Nait is a key part of our efforts to protect our vital primary industries from pests and disease," Mr O’Connor said.

"Since getting the Nait Review in April, compliance activities have been stepped up with hundreds of on-farm checks, compliance warnings, stock truck checks and 39 infringement notices — compared with one in the previous five years."

The Government would revisit Nait legislation in the coming months after consulting on more changes including making the scheme easier to use, he said.

DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand supported the law changes.

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